Most days I find myself really struggling to understand why women are the ones to have it so hard. There are so many things we as women juggle on a daily basis as part of our anatomy. 

Periods. Pregnancy. Gender inequality. Sexual harassment. These are all things women face throughout their lives. Now, I’m not saying men don’t experience some of these things; I’m simply stating it tends to happen more often to women. 

Let me start by saying the word period. Periods are not something women would voluntarily ask for and it’s quite upsetting. I can guess if men had periods every month, they would think the world is coming to an end. 

Women experience the horrors of periods every month, usually without batting an eye. But if you really think about it, it’s an uneasy concept. Becoming tired, possibly having to do extra laundry, weird cravings, mood swings … and don’t forget the cramps. Cramps can become so bad the pain is equal to an appendix bursting. How terrifying. 

Not to mention, women’s emotions are often blamed on their monthly cycle as well. This is a maddening concept of reality. Emotions definitely can be affected by women’s periods, however the validity of a woman’s emotions should not be questioned because of this. 

On top of periods, there are people out there who think they get to tell a woman what they can and can’t do with their bodies. It’s truly upsetting. For instance, whether you’re for or against abortion, women should have the right to choose. 

At night when I’m walking to my car, let’s say after a work shift, I carry my key between my fingers and check under my car to make sure nobody is there waiting for me. That is a fear common between all women and it is sad. 

There was a video shared on the app Tik Tok with the question: “What would you do if there were no men on earth for 24 hours?” The replies in the video’s comments were painfully true. One common reply was going for walks at night.

I think it’s incredibly sad that some things men do on a daily basis are things women can’t do confidently without worrying about something bad happening. 

Personally, I would also go for a walk in the middle of the night with both headphones in, instead of having one out to listen to make sure nobody is following. 

Also, makeup. Putting on makeup is tiring and time consuming. Society really decided it was a good idea to normalize putting stuff on your face to make you look presentable to the public. Seriously, why? I, personally, already have a hard time getting up in the morning, let alone putting actual clothes on other than my pajamas. 

The last thing I want to do is spend extra time trying to make my eyelashes look bigger or create the illusion of actually having eyebrows on my face. It’s exhausting. However, I do acknowledge those who see makeup as an art and enjoy doing it. Seriously, I applaud you. 

Women are living angels and deserve more respect than they receive. They fight a lot of unwanted battles throughout life. Being a woman is both a blessing and a curse. 

Dirks can be reached at [email protected].